NEWBURGH, N.Y. – Mount Ida College shot 53% from the floor in the second half and cut a 25-point deficit to single digits on multiple occasions, but could not overcome an early hole in their New Year's eve matinee, falling 71-63 to Mount Saint Mary in non-conference women's basketball action at the Kaplan Center.
Mount Saint Mary College improved to 3-6, while the Mustangs finish off the calendar year with a 3-8 record after meeting the Knights for the first time in program history.
Mount Ida sophomore Angelique Martinez (Taunton, Mass.) scored a game-high 19 points in just 15 minutes on the court after falling into early foul trouble. She also grabbed eight rebounds, while classmate Stephanie Champoux (Tewksbury, Mass.) totaled 14 points and three assists, and freshman Imani Bumpus (W. Hartford, Conn.) pulled down a game-high 12 boards while dishing out four assists and collecting a block and two steals to go with eight points.
A dominant first half laid the foundation for the Knights' victory Wednesday afternoon, as the home team claimed a 40-19 lead heading into halftime. Seniors Natalie Candarelli (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) and Lauren Romao (Brick, N.J.) each scored eight points to lead the Knights in the opening frame, while sophomore guard Marisa Delzio (Brewster, N.Y.) helped out with four assists. The Knights shot 39.5 percent (15-of-38) in the first half and made 7-of-9 free throws.
Mount Ida closed the gap early in the second half, outscoring the Knights, 17-5, in the first seven minutes to cut the deficit to single digits, with Martinez contributing the first seven of those points and then setting up the next basket.
The Knights held tight and scored the next five points, sparked by a big three by freshman guard Janae Graham (Orange, Conn.) to improve their lead to 50-36. After a pair of free throws for the Mustangs, a trey by Romao kicked off another five-point run to put the Knights up by 17 with 8:46 left to play.
The Mustangs, shooting much better in the second stanza, kept the game within reach by cutting the deficit to 11 points with the clock reading 4:47, but another long ball by Romao halted their run.
Mount Ida made another strong run in the final minute, outscoring the Knights, 7-1, but the home team held on for the victory, cut to single digits by a three-pointer in the final seconds by Mustang freshman Shanell Nardone (Tewksbury, Mass.), who had eight points in the game.
Candarelli finished with a team-high 17 points and pulled down seven boards in the win. Romao tallied 16, while Graham also reached double-digits with 10 points. Freshman forward Bridget Kelly (Farmington, Conn.) turned in a solid game with a team-high 10 rebounds, as well as eight points. Delzio finished the game with eight assists and a pair of steals.
Mount Ida shot 53.1 percent (17-of-32) in the second half to finish with a game-high 37.9 shooting percentage (25-of-66) for the afternoon. The Knights made 32.9 percent (24-of-73) of their shots for the game. The Knights held a 49-44 advantage in rebounds, but the Mustangs outscored the Knights in the paint, 36-22. The Knights took advantage of 17 Mustang turnovers by turning them into 16 points.
The Mustangs will not wait too long into 2015 to return to the court, this time in the confines of Mustang City, as they will host Becker College on Saturday, January 3rd at 1:00 pm in the first of seven straight home games.
The Knights gear up for the start of their Skyline Conference schedule in their first matchup of 2015. They will host the College of Mount Saint Vincent at the Kaplan Center on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.